Louise de la Ramé wrote these stories in a way that charms alike grown people and children. Little August and his beloved Hirschvogel the great Nürnberg stove, Florentine Lolo and his faithful Moufflou, Raphael the child of old Urbino, and others, are vividly pictured.

Ten Years of Age

Amusements And Handicraft

"But Margaret said, 'I don't want to wait till I'm big; I want to cook now; and I don't want to do cooking-school cooking, but little girl cooking, all by myself.'"

So they gave her this simple cook-book on her birthday, and she learned to make all the different dishes before another birthday came.

Margaret loved housekeeping, and the big people taught her on Saturday mornings how to take care of the house and its contents, how to launder, to market, et cetera. The directions, given in story form, are very clear and simple, and girls greatly enjoy the book. In fact, work becomes as joyful as play.

The Boy Craftsman has been undertaken with a view of helping boys with their problems of earning money, as well as furnishing recreative and entertaining work, and to this end the first portion has been devoted to suggestions for the carrying on of a number of small business enterprises, and the second and third parts to outdoor and indoor pastimes for all seasons of the year.--Preface.

The handling and care of tools, simple carpentry, printing, photography, the making of an outdoor gymnasium and a miniature theatre, are among the topics included. There are many illustrations.

Biography, History, And Government

"Here may we sit and converse hold
With those whose names in ages old
Were in the book of fame enrolled."

Columbus ... left a record of persistence in spite of discouragement and of triumph over all obstacles, that has been the inspiration and guide for Americans ever since his day.--Preface.

The life of the great admiral is described in a simple and interesting manner. Many pictures are given.

One of the best of modern Americans, James Russell Lowell, who was born on the same day of the month as Washington, February twenty-second, wrote, shortly before his death, to a school-girl whose class proposed noticing his own birthday: "Whatever else you do on the twenty-second of February, recollect, first of all, that on that day a really great man was born, and do not fail to warm your hearts with the memory of his service, and to brace your minds with the contemplation of his character. The rest of us must wait uncovered till he be served."

This is a good text for those boys and girls who may be led to read this true story of George Washington.--Preface.

The book is fully illustrated.

The French discovery and settlement of this country to the time of Pontiac, and the coming of the English. A vivid, carefully drawn picture of those adventurous days. Marquette, Joliet, La Salle, and Tonty, are sketched for us.

A companion to The Young Folks' Cyclopædia of Common Things, which tells, in the same simple way, of well-known persons and places. It is, as is the former, most satisfactory. There are many illustrations.

This volume, like The Discovery and Exploration of America, of which it is a continuation, is a study of the best authorities. It is intended to present to young readers the salient points in the story of the colonization of the United States.--Preface.

By this series of talks about the make-up and workings of different civic departments and institutions Miss Hill arouses the attention and holds the interest of our children. The police, fire, and street departments, are described, and among other subjects, juvenile courts, the school system, and the village improvement association, are pleasantly discussed.

A good account of the exploring expeditions of Coronado, Lewis and Clark, Fremont, Powell, Parkman, and others. The book contains maps and illustrations.

The child is to put this volume, not at the lesson-book end of the shelf, but with Robinson Crusoe and the like. So the preface suggests, and rightly. It is eminently readable, a success, we should say, in what looks much easier than it is, telling a story in simple words.--The Spectator.

A history of the Mother Country, from earliest legendary times delightfully related. The thirty full-page illustrations in color add to its attraction.

The Swiss national hero is told of in a series of thrilling narratives, teaching children what brave men will dare and do for freedom. There are eight pictures in color.

Geography, Travel, And Description

The author relates in his informal way, among many other experiences, his encounters with the little people of Herodotus; their tiny houses, curious customs, and uncommon shyness. This trip to Africa was begun in 1863.

The hunting of hippopotami and gorillas is most interestingly narrated by the great explorer who also tells about the method employed in catching elephants, about snake-charming, and so forth.

These small books--the Peeps at Many Lands Series--"are intended to give children a glimpse at the scenes, people, and characteristics, of foreign countries.... A strong feature is made of the work and play of children in the land described." The illustrations, though as a rule somewhat highly colored, are very attractive. There are many titles in the series, but only the most important are included in this list. Besides descriptions of beautiful lakes and great mountains, this volume includes tales of the struggle for Swiss freedom, accounts of mountain-climbing, sports, and chamois-hunting. There are twelve colored plates, among which are a number of fine snow scenes.

Frederick Schwatka says: To describe these Arctic babies is the main object of this book--to tell the boys and girls what kind of toys and pleasures and picnics and all sorts of fun may be had where you would hardly think any could be had at all; also, some of the discomforts of living in this most uncomfortable country.

Experiences in the lives of five boys, whose respective homes were Sweden, Egypt, Iceland, Germany, and Russia.

The purpose of the author, of course, was to give a glimpse of the habits and customs of these countries.

Mythology, Folk-lore, Legends, And Fairy Tales

Mrs. Lucas is well fitted for her office of translator, although there are a number of tales in this selection which, in the opinion of the compiler of this List, might well have been omitted because of their horrible character. The pictures are so remarkable that in them the stories live again.

Mr. Baldwin's object, as he tells us, has been to pave the way to the enjoyable reading of Homer. He has depicted for us the boyhood and youth of Odysseus, taking the various legends relating to the causes of the Trojan War, and weaving them into one continuous narrative, ending where Homer begins.

A little volume intended for the use of children who may be taken to hear the operas of Richard Wagner. It gives briefly, in an interesting manner, the great myth upon which Wagner based his famous production, the Ring of the Nibelungs, following the lines of the operas. The musical motifs accompany the text.

This companion to The Story of the Rhinegold relates the legends of the Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde, and the Mastersingers of Nuremberg. The musical motifs accompany the text.

In Europe they were not known till 1704, when a learned Frenchman, Antoine Galland, who had travelled widely in the East, put them skillfully, if not too accurately, into the language of his own people.... Within a comparatively few years, an ancient manuscript in the Louvre at Paris has been found to remove from Galland the long-standing reproach that he introduced into his Arabian Nights stories which really did not belong to the collection, but were taken from other Eastern sources.... It will not be easy to change the form of the names which, through Galland's agency, have become classic words.--Introduction to Stories from the Arabian Nights.

Mr. Dixon presents these famous Oriental stories most acceptably, and Mr. Batten's remarkable illustrations are all that can be desired. His genii are genii indeed, and his fairy princesses creatures of grace and beauty.

I have endeavored to give to the whole a genuine flavor of the old plantation. Each legend has its variants, but in every instance I have retained that particular version which seemed to me to be the most characteristic, and have given it without embellishment and without exaggeration.--Introduction.

All children should have the opportunity to know and to love Uncle Remus, as they cannot fail to do if they are familiar with his narratives. The Negro dialect often makes it desirable to have these read aloud.

In this second Wonder Book Hawthorne again tells us in simple language of great heroes of Greek mythical days. The Minotaur, the Pygmies, The Dragon's Teeth, Circe's Palace, The Pomegranate Seeds, and The Golden Fleece, comprise the contents of the volume.

In fine and picturesque language, retained from the Indian original, Geraldine Hodgson has given us this adaptation from the Ramayana. We learn, with delight, to know the monkey hosts: "Hanuman, that strong, forgiving, wise, brave, and humble Ape," and "Sugriva, that best of Monkeys."

Telling of Mowgli, the child of the jungle, and his brethren, the wild creatures of the forest; together with other marvellous animal stories.

"Oh, hear the call!--Good hunting all
That keep the Jungle Law!"

This, the third of the colored fairy books, contains, as do the others, tales from many sources, among them The Half-Chick, The Magic Swan, and King Kojata.

Mr. Pyle has related these great legends right worthily. The illustrations are full of interest, and while the text is suited to a narrative of this early period, it is well within childish comprehension.

An exquisite legend, beautiful in spirit and language.

There have been written in our English language a few tales bearing a rich moral lesson that are an unfailing source of delight, alike to childhood and to youth, and that are at the same time not without interest to the adult. The King of the Golden River is one of these.... Its lessons are not obtruded; the reader is really not explicitly conscious of them at all.--Introduction.

Mr. Stockton had a wise, humorous style of his own. In this small volume, which contains some of his best writing for children, will be found Old Pipes and the Dryad, The Bee-Man of Orn, and The Clocks of Rondaine.

From centuries and peoples almost as different from those we know as the North and the South Poles are far apart, through the overthrows of dynasties and the movements of whole races of men, by the work of Arabian scholars when printing was unknown, and by the labors of Europeans almost in our own day, these stories have survived to transport us into a world of splendor and magic.--Introduction.

A carefully edited selection of thirteen of these famous tales, with which, of course, every child should be familiar.

This fairy extravaganza--Thackeray's only production for children--was written for a little sick girl.

Poetry, Collections Of Poetry And Prose, And Stories Adapted From Great Authors

Poems illustrative of the history and national spirit of England, Scotland, Ireland, and America.--Title-Page.

The compilers have given us a volume of verse chosen from that which is "most simple, most hearty, most truly characteristic of the people, their tradition, history, and spirit; ... poetry sometimes by, and sometimes not, but always for, the people; poems that were household words with our fathers and mothers, and lay close to the heart because of the heart."

Mrs. Haweis begins with an account of Chaucer's life and the London of his day. Portions of a number of the Tales follow, the original and the modern text being given in parallel columns, with prose abridgments connecting the selections. There are eight full-page colored pictures and a number of small woodcuts. Though possibly only an exceptional child will enjoy the book, it helps to bring the youthful reader closer to the time of Chaucer than any other version for children.

"Some travellers are apt to advance more than is strictly true; if any of the company entertain a doubt of my veracity, I shall only say to such, I pity their want of faith."

Raspé was scholar enough to mix up with the real Munchausen's amusing burlesques, exaggerations and fancies which are centuries older, and which can be cited now from the crabbed language of the Middle Ages.--Note.

His voyage to Lilliput, his stay with the little people, and his adventures later among the giants of Brobdingnag, are classic. Written as a political satire, the narrative has served a gentler purpose than its original one. The littleness of the Lilliputians and the greatness of the giants appeal strongly to children.

Science, Out-of-door Books, And Stories Of Animals

The old gardener teaches Mary how to prepare and tend her garden through the year. Much practical information is given in a charming way with a thread of story.

A clear account of the geological story, interestingly told. Many of the illustrations are taken from Lyell, and Winchell.

Children, while they do not like spiders, are invariably curious about them. This description of various species, with its good illustrations, will turn childish curiosity into genuine interest.

In moderate compass this book gives us much information about the living creatures of the world. Mr. Wood is an authority. There are twelve colored and over three hundred black-and-white illustrations.

Although as a rule story-telling and science are best kept separate, their combination in this pleasant tale, written in the interest of bird-protection, can have only our hearty commendation. It arouses the interest of children not only by its style, but because there is such a fund of information about our birds. The volume contains twelve colored plates and thirty-six full-page illustrations in half-tone.

Stories

The story tells how little Ben and good Sancho, his wonderful trained poodle, ran away from the circus, and found refuge and happiness with Bab and Betty in the old home under the lilacs.

This account of the capture of Juan and Juanita by Comanches is founded on fact. A number of years ago two Mexican children were discovered by Indians on the other side of the Rio Grande, and carried away to the Llanos Estacados. After four years of captivity they made their escape, walking back three hundred miles through a wild country, and finally reaching their mother. The tale gives an interesting picture of hacienda life.

The author originally related these narratives of life and sport in the Norseland to his own children.

"For my Vikings love song and saga,
Like their conquering fathers of old;
And these are some of the stories
To the three little tyrants I told."

An altogether charming description of a little girl's happy year spent with her German uncle in the old family castle. Peep-in-the-World's friendship with Knut the dwarf, who lives in the forest surrounded by the animals he loves and cares for, and the founding of an Order of Knights by the children, are sweet and natural incidents.

Written by William Henry during the two years he was away at school. One of the best books for boys, and they love it. It has high standards, abounds in homely common-sense, and is very funny.

Austin Dobson, in his introduction, gives us a sketch of Maria Edgeworth's upbringing and of the conditions which helped to produce the famous Parent's Assistant, from which twelve of the sixteen stories are here reprinted, accompanied by Mr. Thomson's delightful pictures.

"Fairies were not much in her line," says Mrs. Richmond Ritchie, Thackeray's daughter, "but philanthropic manufacturers, liberal noblemen, and benevolent ladies in travelling carriages, do as well and appear in the nick of time to distribute rewards or to point a moral."--Introduction.

"Mr. Peterkin, Agamemnon, and Solomon John, took the postal card to the post-office early one morning.... It must have been read along its way: for by each mail came piles of postals and letters from town after town, in answer to the question, and all in the same tone: 'Yes, yes; publish the adventures of the Peterkin family.'"

The trials and troubles of the Peterkins and the helpful suggestions of the resourceful lady from Philadelphia will long be a source of amusement to folks both old and young.

This mysterious tale of Ji-shib the Chippewa, and A-mi-kons the little beaver, his totem, follows Indian life from birth to early manhood. Dr. Jenks has prepared many small accompanying sketches.

Narratives of the early days of some little school-girls of long ago, related by themselves. Charmingly illustrated in color; the costumes those of the period.

Childhood days on a farm near old Deerfield, fifty or sixty years ago. The story has a fresh, wholesome atmosphere, and children of to-day love the simple happenings.

A continuation of the farm life of the children we learned to know in Jolly Good Times, telling of school-days and winter fun.

This delightful book is generally accepted as giving the best picture of child-life in the Swiss Alps.

The exploit by which a young Nez Percé won his name, and his further prowess, are related. The adventures of a mining party and the pursuit of rebellious Apaches by a company of United States cavalry are just what boys will enjoy reading about.

The experiences of this shipwrecked family are thus happily characterized by the Spectator: They did sail in the tubs, and train zebras and ostriches for riding, and grow apples and pines in the same garden; and why shouldn't they?

An account of the boyhood days of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, vassal of Louis IV, one of the last of the degenerate line of Charlemagne.

Eleven Years of Age

Amusements And Handicraft

This very comprehensive volume gives information about tools, different kinds of woods, and the fitting up of workshops; with full directions for the building of simple houses, boats, toboggans, and numerous small articles. There are many working diagrams.

Biography, History, And Government

Issued under the auspices of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, this volume gives an account of the visit of a party of young people to Washington, where they learned much of interest regarding our government and the workings of its different departments. There are many illustrations.